South of France on a budget

[bobbyrandall]

Hello all,
We are planning a trip from bcn up to the South of France, the expensive places, to Monaco, Montecarlo, Nize,etc. Any tips for good campsites and how to do probably the most expensive place in Europe on the cheap? Is it possible, have you done it? I may be forced to lash out on a good hotel for my better half for at least one night, so any pointers there...?
Thanks in advance chaps.

[beddhist]

It depends a little on when you want to be there. I used to live near Nice for 7 years and in summer the whole coast becomes insufferable. Oppressive heat, endless traffic jams, pollution and everything is expensive. Service, where it exists, is poor. Safety is also a major concern.

If you want to go anyway I suggest you try HU communities and web sites like couchsurfing.com, globalfreeloaders.com and similar ones.

I was going to suggest you base yourself in Grasse for a few days. The rail line should be operational now, so you may have fast commuter trains to all the places you want to visit. The camp site, however, was closed down and I don't know whether there is a new one now.

Once you've had enough of the coastal madness a motorcyclists' paradise awaits you in the back country. Great scenery, less heat (altitude), beautiful old villages and great riding. Good maps 1:200000 or GPS are essential.

[gixxer.rob]

Depending on the level of comfort you want, we found municipal campsites to be quite cheap (although in peak season ???) clean and placed well. Remember to bring your own toilet paper though.

This site may help or if you have sat nav have a look at Ulrich sat nav file

No. 1 campsite search directory – CampingFrance.com

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...eearth-36431-6

Cheers